Tiptronic Braking Down: Replacement - Rebuilding?

[CabC2]

99 tip C2, 110,000 miles... just got engine rebuilt... and now the tip is starting to slip. Took to mechanic and it seems that indeed the trannie is in its last stages. Whether it will last several months or less it is hard to predict.

Option 1. Getting a rebuilt tip transmission. The only place I could find is Vertex Auto. The whole job would be around 4-5k. The problem is that I have not heard other than not so good stories about going in this route: It is my understanding that because Porsche does not sell tip parts, the only way to rebuild them is to mix and match parts from used transmissions. This makes sense as a core tip is worth to Porsche only $400, that's all. So, you purchase a rebuilt trannie and it is really a "remixed" trannie.

Option 2 is to get it new from Porsche. Installed it would be very close to 10k. Ouch, but a brand new trannie, to match with the brand new engine 3k miles ago. What else could go wrong, right?

Option 3 would be to get a used trannie with few miles, say 20k or so. The problem here is that if it comes from a wreck, it is likely that the trannie might have been impacted under stress or similar at the moment of the accident. Again, a gamble unless the procedence is from a trusted source.

Option 4 is swapping to manual. This is labor intensive and I doubt it could be done for 10k, even dismissing the perceived loss of value due to having a conversion done (currently the car is a complete financial loss anyway).

Perhaps there is a shop out there with a solid reputation regarding tiptronics but I have not found it. Any input would be appreciated as I'll need to do something about it soon.

Cheers.

[phillipj]

CabC2,

Hey it's Phillip. Sounds like exactly what happened to my last 996. First the engine ...Then the Tranny. I'm so sorry to hear about this. My advice is to do what I did. Take the car out back and shoot it in back of the head.

Seriously...You may want to fix it but I would get another car. After the tranny it will be more things.... It is a money pit.

Low mile 06 997's can be had for a very good price. I took a huge financial hit when I traded mine in but I have no regrets. My 997 is awesome and I have no issues (and a warranty if I do.) I just enjoy it...

I'm sure others may disagree about your situation. That's my 2 cents...

Again, sorry to hear about your tranny.....

[Loren]

A Porsche rebuilt exchange transmission will run about $7000 MSRP - but will have a two year warranty.

I see now that only rebuilt is available from Porsche - so no more new Tips of that vintage.

I'll let others weigh in on Vertex as I have not used them.

[CabC2]

A Porsche rebuilt exchange transmission will run about $7000 MSRP - but will have a two year warranty.

I see now that only rebuilt is available from Porsche - so no more new Tips of that vintage.

That seems the case.

[CabC2]

Hey Philip!

Yes, this seems to be the beggining of the same situation. Perhaps I should just sell the engine as it is newly rebuilt, and call it a day. In the other hand, after engine and tranny, there is not much left in terms of major components.... yeah right

The funny thing is that for 10k I can get a 67 fastback in decent condition from an ol' man that nobody knows of...... and still have the 911 for a while

Edited April 29, 2010 by CabC2

[slbates]

I see you just had your engine replaced. Are you sure the trans fluid refill was done correctly? The ZF tips are insanely sensitive to correct fluid levels and a lot can go wrong in a real hurry if the refill was not done exactly per Porsche procedures.

How many miles after the rebuild before you started having trouble?

You did not mention if you had any tip codes present. As an example, a bad pressure regulator 4 can give symptoms of a failing torque converter and is not a costly fix. I have spoken to at least 3 owners that had been told a new tranny was in order when the only thing needed was a new pressure regulator 4.

You do have a couple of good options for rebuilds. I have never had the need at this point, but I keep info handy from others experiences just in case.

http://www.freddiest...l/zf_5hp19.html

http://www.peterschmid.com/

Please note Freddie's updates known factory problems in lieu of just replacing the minimum parts.

Before you throw away a perfectly good transmission, check the simple stuff first. Have someone knowledgeable check the fluid level. Make sure the vacuum lines to the switch over valve are not hooked up backwards. The fluid will overheat, leading to certain failure if they are installed wrong.

If you decide on a rebuilt unit, speak with the shop before you get the work done. Ask them about the filling procedure. Ask them about the switchover valve connections. Ask them about the locating pins for the torque converter and crankshaft. If they cannot answer correctly, find another shop.